Be prepared for potential spring flooding

All the speculation from months ago about an abundance of water rushing down from the Sierra Nevada into local rivers is real.

For three months, agencies have been planning for a worst-case scenario.

Truckee-Carson Irrigation District and Churchill County constructed an emergency weir and spillway at the V-line canal, which is now releasing water into the Nevada desert and under U.S. 95 south of Fallon. The Nevada Department of Transportation installed culverts under both U.S. Highways 95 and 50 to help with the flow of water toward Carson Lake and then to the Stillwater wildlife refuge. Another project includes the digging of a huge channel from Carson Lake to Stillwater.

Local, state and federal government agencies have been on top of their game trying to minimize the threat of flooding and doing a good job at it. With warmer May weather, snow will melt faster, causing a cold runoff into the Carson River many of us have never seen in our lifetime.

It’s important for residents and visitors to be safe for the next two-to-three months until the danger subsides and to know where to find information:

Churchill County will post all updates at the top of its main page www.churchillcounty.org

The City of Fallon will post updates at the top of its main page www.fallonnevada.gov

The Churchill County Sheriff’s Office will post all updates on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChurchillSO/

Truckee Carson Irrigation District posts updates on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Truckee-Carson-Irrigation-District-189654201053657/

The Lahontan Valley News will share information and post stories of significance on its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LahontanValleyNews/ and online at https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/lahontan-valley/

During an emergency, know how to stay informed through different sources ranging from government Facebook pages and/or websites or through local media such as the LVN or KVLV Radio.

For those living in low-lying areas, ensure you have enough sandbags to place in case the Carson River begins to rise higher and faster than expected. More than 80,000 sandbags are on pallets at the fairgrounds.

Nevada Division of Forestry honor camp crews are in Fallon this week to assist our elderly and disabled residents with the placement of sandbags.

Furthermore, store supplies so you can grab them quickly if you need to evacuate; know in advance what else you will need to take. For a full list of supplies for your emergency supply kit, visit www.ready.gov/build-a-kit.

Finally, the next community meeting is Monday at 7 p.m. at the Churchill County Commission chambers, 155 N. Taylor St. The last meeting packed concerned residents into the commission chambers.

Editorials appear on Wednesdays in the LVN.